The game that unfolded within the TDBN Garden on Friday night was better than the score, 110-92 in favor of the Utah Jazz, indicates. So there's a silver lining. Add to it the fact that it was inevitable that the Celtics' umpteenth hot streak of the season would hit a snag and Friday's home loss isn't devastating. Disappointing? That's another story.

The Jazz came out on fire, led by Deron Williams' 32 points, and was determined to put out any small blazes the Celts came up with along the way. But the Celts did try, creeping back to make it a four point game in the fourth quarter.

The problems? Shooting beyond the arc and a subdued performance from the Big Three, one of whom (Ray Allen) left with an ankle injury, another of whom (Paul Pierce) was silenced by Andrei Kirilenko. The Celtics will brush themselves off and head out to the road. First stop? Milwaukee.

The Garden staff will busily prep the venue for ice today, as the Flyers are coming into town for what we predict will be a typically high-octane, brutal kind of battle.

On the Red Sox front, we're still getting used to this Happy Manny business, and it's a lovely diversion from the questions about who's injured, who's released, and who's busy prepping for Japan. The Sox faced the Orioles on Friday and pulled out a 7-4 win in a rain-shortened matchup. While Dice-K continued his preparation for the regular season, Ramirez delivered a rocket of a homer - suggesting either that the off-season training was an awfully good idea or that this new Manny is going to suit the team and its fans just fine.

Photo by flickr user Paul Keleher